Girls Night In

Mr. PT and I returned to Roanoke today after a fun and restful 5 days in my hometown of Columbus, Ohio.  I sure love to spend time in the kitchen, but I must admit, it was nice letting my mother do most of the cooking.  She made many fantastic dishes that I unfortunately did not get pictures of, however, I will share a short list of ingredients that she most excellently cooked with!

-blueberries

-strawberries

-sweet potatoes

-whole grain pasta

-red onions

-hummus

-cucumbers

-pita bread

-swiss cheese

-eggs

Every dish she served was full of flavor and incredibly satisfying.  I am grateful that she has instilled in me the idea of using simple, natural, food that requires little processing to taste amazing.

Mr. PT was also introduced to Grandpa's roast beef, Uncle J's buttery mashed potatoes, and of course, a Columbus favorite, Tommy's pizza!

I even had the opportunity to reconnect with some dear friends I grew up with.  We had a great time laughing, catching up on life, and eating delicious homemade food.

I must apologize because the lighting in these pictures makes the dishes look somewhat bland...a new camera is hopefully in my future (the road-bike came first).

My friend Kelly brought a plate of cucumbers, peppers, and pita chips accompanied with hummus and feta cheese dip.  Both were incredibly full of flavor and perfect for munching.  She found the cheese dip on this neat blog!  Check it out and then come right back!

I made a homemade salsa with chopped tomatoes, cilantro, red onion, corn, pureed green pepper, and heavy seasoning...I threw in garlic, cumin, cayenne pepper, onion powder...you name it.  If it was spicy and tangy, I threw it in.  I also gave it a zesty bite with lime juice.  Kelly and I were on the same wavelength with the pita chips!

Overall, it was a great getaway that Mr. PT and I both needed.  Although, it was nice to be back with the bike group tonight!

Combine with...vacation exercise!  Don't let your travels be an excuse to abandon your workout routine.  Map a quick run around the neighborhood.  Borrow a friend's pool pass and swim some laps.  If you can, hitch your bikes to the car and spend a day exploring the city on your wheels.  You will find yourself having more energy and not feeling so guilty when you indulge in your favorite ice cream bar or pizza joint.

 

Memorial Day Weekend...keeping it light

Memorial Day weekend!  A wonderful weekend to honor our heroes...full of family, friends, and all around good times.

Mr. PT and I had a fantastic weekend filled with biking, trail running, wine drinking with friends, beer drinking with family, and of course, eating!

I am sure you found yourself making some interesting food choices this weekend.  Green salad or macaroni salad?  Watermelon or Jello?  Chocolate chip cookies or fresh strawberries?

This is a weekend in which the 80/20 rule can really make a difference.  Choosing fresher, natural, and healthier foods 80% of eating opportunities will preserve your waistline and your overall feeling of wellness after a long, fun weekend.

Here is a sample of foods I ate this weekend that fall into the 20% category that I do not feel guilty about:
-3 glasses of white wine
-1/2 ice cream sandwich
-1/2 serving restaurant french fries
-1/2 dark chocolate covered graham cracker
-3 beers
-several bites of decadent brownie and bumbleberry tart (shared between 4 at a restaurant)
-bagel with cream cheese and jelly
-single serving of black raspberry chip ice cream (yum)

Not too bad, right? Although I did not get a photo of everything else I ate this weekend, here is a glimpse of a few dishes I had that fell into the 80% category.

 Bruschetta with fresh strawberries and sweet potato fries

Salsa and guacamole with chips, berries, and bread with...

 

caprese dip!

Intertwined with these homemade dishes was a lot of fresh fruit, copious amounts of water to keep hydrated, 1/2 black bean burger at a restaurant, pizza and hummus dip at another restaurant...and well, you get the point.

The weekend ended on a bang with...

Fresh green salad with radicchio, baked chicken tenders, walnuts, goat cheese, roasted beets, broiled potatoes with rosemary and dill, and a big chunk of watermelon.

So I guess my point here is that you can celebrate the long weekends by eating some treats, but try not to push your health to the side for 3 days straight.  It makes for a rough Tuesday.

Combine with active party activities!  Get a vball, bball, or fball game started.  Throw some cornhole or bocce ball. Go jump on your kids' trampoline for a while.  Exercise doesn't always have to be a planned effort!

Stay tuned for beet recipes!

Peppers and Potatoes!

Although summer is wrapping up and the fall vegetables are beginning to take over, my basil plant is still cooking and I am still tempted to fill my fridge with those wonderful bell peppers.  But I am getting a little burnt out on pesto (hard to believe!).  So I made a different kind of pesto-sauce the other night that was delicious!  I wish it had lasted longer!  If you are looking for a fun appetizer dish or something different to snack on with a glass of wine, this is something you should try.

First I roasted a red pepper, 2-3 mushrooms, and a few big slices of onion in the broiler by lightly coating them in olive oil and let them thoroughly cook (the mushrooms and onions take about half the time of the pepper).  When the pepper was charred on all sides, I removed it from the oven, put it in a covered bowl and let it steam for about 10 minutes.  This process makes the pepper nice and soft.  Run it under cold water and the skin will peel right off!

I removed the seeds and blended the roasted red pepper in my food processor with the mushrooms and onions, basil leaves (about a handful?), Parmesan cheese (1/4 cup), olive oil (a few tablespoons) and black/red pepper.   I dipped slices of baguette, but you could also dip pita chips or crackers.  It had a great, fresh flavor that was a little more complex than regular pesto.

Mr. PT and I turned this into a meal by cooking up some sweet potato fries as well.  I know I have covered these in a previous entry, but in case you missed it, these are incredibly easy and delicious!  Just cut the sweet potatoes into slices, toss them with olive oil, salt and pepper (or brown sugar if you prefer them to be sweet) and cook them in a 400 degree oven for about 45 minutes or until soft on the inside, crispy on the outside!

Sweet Potato Fries

Yum!

Combine with a fat burning, stress relieving kick-boxing class.  Do not be intimidated!  The instructor is usually good about giving you different options of intensity so you can go at your own pace.  After a long and stressful day at school, this class was exactly what I needed!

Party On!

I recently had some family in town and I was in charge of preparing a nice spread for lunch.  I purchased some fresh fruits and veggies at the farmer's market the day before, so I wanted to share some of the goods.  It was a pretty light lunch, but I got compliments all around!  So if you are feeling overwhelmed with hungry guests, here are some fresh, light ideas to top your table with.

 Fresh hummus served with pita bread and veggies

 Watermelon and cucumber salad with feta cheese, mint and basil

(this one was hit or miss...if you are questionable, stick with JUST watermelon and cucumber)

Bruschetta with tri-color cherry tomatoes

For this simple dish, just dice your tomatoes and stir with basil, olive oil, a touch of balsamic vinegar, and a dash of pepper and garlic...serve on top of toasted bread with mozzarella

Everyone enjoyed the lunch and I was proud to serve my guests all the yummy, local foods I had scavenged.

Combine with a bike ride to the gym, a pilates/fitness class, and a bike ride home.  If you can't ride to your gym, do a bike ride and some stretching and abdominal work after a hot shower.

Happy Siete de Mayo!

Since Cinco de Mayo was on a week day this year, Mr. PT and I decided to have friends over for a Siete de Mayo party this weekend.  It was great celebrating the small amount of Mexican heritage we have (if any) with sangria, Corona, and some classic Mexican appetizers.  It was a blast. 

We served fresh, homemade guacamole and bean/corn salsa (provided by friends), fresh fruit, gummy bears, chicken and pepper quesadillas, and dark chocolate Hershey Kisses.  I did not get a picture of it, but the sangria had oranges, pineapple, strawberries, mango, and blackberries with white zinfandel wine and diet 7up.  It was the perfect spread for munching, drinking, and having a good time without over-stuffing ourselves with heavy food.  You CAN have a party and still serve healthy, fresh food that people WILL enjoy! 

I will fill you in on the recipe for the quesadillas, since I've already blogged about guacamole.  Friend with salsa, feel free to post your recipe in a comment box!

Ingredients:
flour tortillas
chicken breasts (1-2, depending on how many you want to make!)
3 bell peppers, of all colors
red onion
marbled cheddar cheese, or Mexican cheese
red/black pepper
olive oil
Mexican spices (cumin, onion, garlic, oregano, cayenne pepper, etc)

Cut the chicken into small pieces and cook in a pan with olive oil and spices until thoroughly cooked.  Meanwhile, slice the peppers and onion and saute in a  pan with olive oil and spices until soft. Spread cheese, peppers, and chicken on half of a tortilla and fold the other half on top.  Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes until the tortillas are slightly crispy.  I made half with peppers and chicken and half with just peppers. Turn on some mariachi music, top with a sombrero and enjoy!

Friends, Family, and Food, of Course!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter.  Mr. PT and I had a full weekend of traveling, laughing, hugging, and eating.  The weekend started out with a home-cooked meal made by the woman I owe most of my cooking and baking instincts to, my mother.  She started the weekend off with a bang, making homemade pizzas and warm chicken noodle soup.  I will be posting the pizza crust recipe in a future entry, but maybe Mom will post her secret for soup in a comment??  We'll see!

It was the perfect mix of warm yummy goodness with the casual feel of a Saturday night.

Of course, Sunday was the big meal.  My wonderful and gracious Aunt Heather and Uncle Tom had the extended family over to celebrate.

It can be overwhelming sometimes to see a huge spread of food and still feel pressured to stay healthy.  But I tell you, it can be done!  The number one rule to follow? DON'T DENY YOURSELF.  How often do you get to break bread with your family?  Enjoy it!  Personally, I look forward to my family's cheesy green beans, buttery lima beans, creamy au gratin potatoes, and juicy ham.  This is my strategy:  make the salad take up the most room on your plate.  Surround it with little servings of your favorites.  That way you are enjoying all those wonderful flavors without filling up on the rich stuff.  I promise, you will still feel satisfied at the finish.  For dessert, I had some fruit and shared a piece of cake with Mr. PT.  I was full, but still able and ready to take a stab at the new boxing game on Kinect shortly after.

Happy Holiday!

super bowl fever

I know this may be a sore subject for some (and a victorious reminder for others), but I had to post on the Superbowl Extravaganza that was this past Sunday night.  Mr. PT and I had some friends and family over to watch the Steelers and Packers dual, and it was a great time.  I love playing host to good friends and family, sharing food, laughs, and favorite spirits.  However, we also had to watch Mr. PT squirm as his beloved team marched off the field in defeat.  Oh well, there is always next year.


When providing food for company, especially to munch during the Superbowl, there is some pressure to present all greasy, salty, rich, fatty foods.  However, I have to eat this stuff too, so I try to make a compromise.  I believe the spread we had Sunday night was a nice mix.

 

We made a homemade pizza with fresh ingredients, pigs in a blanket (a classic favorite), whole grain tortilla chips with salsa, fresh guacamole, and a sour cream based dip, broccoli salad, fresh fruit, and ribs from my brother in law's grill.  More guests came later with MORE fresh guacamole (I liked his recipe better!), potato salad, and spinach-artichoke dip.  We had plenty of food for everyone without over-indulging. In fact, Mr. PT and I were blessed with leftovers for Monday!

So there you go, an example of how to serve party food with some healthy and homemade dishes.  I promise your guests will not complain.

If you happen to be a guest at a party that is stocked with delicious, but not necessarily nutritious items, here are some "psychology of eating" tips you can use to prevent guilt from overindulgence:

1) Take one plate, fill it with all the food you want to eat, and stop after that is gone

2) Eat a light snack before you go, don't arrive famished

3) Drink spirits or pop out of tall, skinny glasses...you will perceive it as holding more liquid and end up drinking less!

4) Be aware that we humans eat MORE when we are with people we know and feel comfortable with

5) Finally, if there is more variety of foods, we eat more!  Be aware of this, and take smaller portions if you want to try everything

Remember, we eat to live, we don't live to eat!